Health Dummy | We Try Twerking

By Olivia Atkinson - 06 Apr 2016

A wee while ago, old mate Miley C introduced the world to the booty poppin’ phenomenon known as twerking. We all oooed, aahed and eye-rolled at her R-rated antics, both confused and intrigued as to why and more importantly, HOW the hell she did it.

But now it’s 2016, and let me tell you—the time has come for us mere mortals to twerk it.

Sure, if you’re a dude this probs won’t be your cup of tea, but for all you ladies, twerking is a judgement and treadmill-free way to get sweaty, feel a little sexy and seriously feel the buuurn.

I know this because I recently shimmied and shook my way through a twerking class. UK lass Hayley Ackerman is the brains behind Twerk It Out, a fitness class that sees you jiggling your bum to the beat and learning how to take down Miley in a twerk off, should the situation ever arise.

For the uninitiated, twerking (as defined by the trusty Urban Dictionary) is “the rhythmic gyrating of the lower fleshy extremities in a lascivious manner.” Or in more simple (and less vom-worthy) terms—twerking is basically shaking what your mama gave ya.

According to the rest of The Urban List crew, I have most sizeable behind in the office (thanks guys) and therefore was the perfect twerkout dummy candidate. And y’know what? I was up for the challenge.

Hayley is not only one of the biggest babes you’ve ever seen, she also totally understands that twerking can be a nerve-wracking exercise for beginners. “The class is tailored to all twerkabilites,” she explained. Whether you’ve got a booty like Bey or a tiny peach, Hayley will have you twerking before you know it.

So, what actually happens in a twerking class, apart from trying not to hump the air, of course? Lots of sweat, lots of booty popping, and lots of lols. After chucking on our knee pads (safety first, kids), the class started with a warm-up to get the blood pumping before we learnt the basics of the twerk. And before you chuck your ‘oh I couldn’t possibly do that’ hat on, the twerking technique isn’t half as hard as it looks. You’ll definitely feel unco to begin with, however after a couple of twerk-friendly songs, your butt will be twerkin’ like a pro.

Twerk It Out is the kind of workout where you push yourself to the limit, but you’re having too much of a blast to notice. One moment you’ll be on all fours from one side of the room to the other, the next you’ll be taking part in a saucy routine, hair flicking, jiggling and dropping it low. And the best part? The calories will be burnin’ and your bod will be on its way to tone town.

The hour was up and I wasn’t quite ready to turn my twerk off. Sure, I was red-faced and sweating like there’s no tomorrow, but it was hands down (butt up) the most fun I’d had exercising in a while. A very long while.

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By Olivia Atkinson

Kiwi born, Dubai bred, Olivia has finally decided to stay put in the mighty fine city of Auckland. She’s amped to bring her bubbliness and knack of words to The Urban List crew. A lover of elephants, salted caramel and baby spinach (#balancedlife), you’ll often find Olivia with a craft brew in hand, still in shock about landing her dream job.